SANTA CLARA — Austin Ekeler entered Levi’s Stadium with just seven professional carries to his name. If this was his last appearance in a Chargers uniform, he made it count.

After seeing little action in his first three preseason games, the undrafted rookie made his case for a spot on the regular-season roster on Thursday. In their 23-13 finale loss to the 49ers, the Chargers fed Ekeler the ball four straight times to start the second quarter.

He took advantage, running for 18-, 11-, and 1-yard gains before stretching a short pass into 11 more yards. In doing so, Ekeler nearly quadrupled the offensive output of the 49ers, who only gained 8 yards in the first quarter. By the final buzzer, he had gained 108 yards from scrimmage.

“The way he played didn’t surprise me at all,” Coach Anthony Lynn said. “Not at all.”

But his most important play may have come earlier — on special teams. With less than six minutes left in the first quarter, Trent Taylor was running. The 49ers receiver had taken Toby Baker’s punt back 40 yards, and only had a couple of more bodies between himself and the end zone.

Then, Ekeler appeared. The running back had been pushed to the ground a few seconds earlier — on what should have been flagged as an illegal block in the back — but bounced up and chased down Taylor for the special teams tackle.

This isn’t how he made his name at Western State Colorado, a Division II program that he essentially turned into a playground for video-game numbers. Through his first three preseason games, Ekeler had gotten 65 snaps, split almost in half between offense and special teams. Even if he earns a spot in the running back rotation, he’ll likely be a third tailback after Melvin Gordon and Branden Oliver.

But Ekeler’s college head coach, Jas Bains, once worked at Chadron State. There, he served as the special teams coach for Danny Woodhead, a fellow undrafted product of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Before bolting to the Ravens as a free agent this spring, Woodhead spent four seasons with the Chargers — serving as a capable pass-catcher out of the backfield when he was healthy.

Ekeler has drawn comparisons to Woodhead, and watched film of the 10th-year veteran this summer to find niches for himself on the Chargers’ roster.

“Even our body type is similar,” the 5-foot-10, 201-pound Ekeler said this week. “He’s a little bigger than I am. But I watched him just to see how he was doing it. He was making it, not just because he was a running back — which he was pretty good at — but special teams too. That’s how he started.”

INJURY REPORT

Chargers who sat out the preseason finale included receiver Dontrelle Inman (core), receiver Isaiah Burse (concussion), cornerback Trovon Reed (hip) and undrafted linebacker James Onwualu. All four watched from the sideline in street clothes.

Lynn said Onwualu had been playing through a few injuries, and didn’t want to risk his health on Thursday. He added that the absence would not affect the rookie’s chances of making the roster: “He’s had an outstanding camp for a young man.”

Offensive guard Donavon Clark left the game with a knee injury in the second quarter. He was on crutches after the game, and had a brace over his left knee.

Defensive end Chris McCain appeared to injure his right ankle late in the second quarter, but was able to get to the sideline unassisted. He walked without a slight limp after being taped by a trainer. Linebacker Joshua Perry was evaluated for a possible head injury.

Lynn sat most of his starters, but played linebackers Korey Toomer and Kyle Emanuel, as well as veteran safety Dwight Lowery.

Jack Wang covers the Chargers, the latest NFL team to relocate to Los Angeles. He previously covered the Rams, and also spent four years on the UCLA beat, a strange period in which the Bruins' football program often outpaced their basketball team. He is a proud graduate of UC Berkeley, where he spent most of his time in The Daily Californian offices in Eshleman Hall — a building that did not become earthquake-safe until after his time on campus.

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